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Nepal/Everest quake, end of day 2: Aftershocks, Namche evacuated, weather worsening

Posted: Apr 26, 2015 08:01 pm EDT

(Newsdesk/TS) Several aftershocks today - the strongest measuring 6.7 - caused new avalanches and further collapses of the icefall, but no new causalties have been reported. Himex reports a large avalanche from Nuptse (directly opposite of the big avalanche yesterday) destroyed more tents in BC.

Adventure Consultans confirmed they lost 5 Nepali staff yesterday. "Clear weather has allowed a further eight AC Nepali staff members to be evacuated down valley by helicopter, along with casualties from other teams," the team reported.

Many climbers have been stranded high up on the mountain after the icefall route collapsed. As reported yesterday, Everest base camp suffers low power and cut communications, with 100+ climbers stuck in camp 1 and 2.

The icefall doctor cancelled his work and left for Gorak Shep but several of the mountaineering guides have continued his work. Mountain Guides report "bottom line is that the route is badly broken up, many ladders are lost, and ropes buried".

Currently in Namche Bazaar, a favorite village hangout enroute to Everest basecamp for mountaineers and trekkers, Swedish mountaineer Johan Ernst Nilson told Explorersweb: "New quakes right now. Namche is being evacuated and is partly demolished. So is Tengboche and almost all villages. We live in tents above Namche and are trying to help injured".

Ekantipur reports that according to ministry officials 217 people are missing in the Everest area. 22 bodies have been recovered from Mount Everest BC [other sources mention 17 or 18].

Several climbers report that all the seriously injured have been airlifted out of Base Camp mostly to HRA's (Himalayan Rescue Associations) field station in Pheriche which is not ideal but the hospitals in Kathmandu are overfilled. Some injured have been transported to Lukhla.

Veteran Himalaya weatherman Javier Corripio of MeteoExploration has prepared a special weather forecast for the Everest area that can be viewed here. The outlook is far from ideal, winds are expected to pick up and more snow is anticipated.

The Union of Asian Alpine Associations (UAAA) have launched a help appeal already joined by the Pakistan Alpine Club.

Previous:

Pakistan Deployed Four Military Aircrafts for Nepal Relief, Alpine Club Letter of Support

Mount Everest Update: Rescue Flights Resume

Nepal Earthquake: Everest Base Camp Avalanche

Quake update: Everest, Annapurna, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaula, Shisha

Nepal Earthquake Updates: Mountains Tremble

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Power shortage and cut connections make comms difficult but Elia managed to get a few pics out today from Everest BC.
courtesy Elia Saikaly, SOURCE

Namche is completely evacuated, Johan told Explorersweb around midnight day 2, writing literally as the earth shook around him, he said.
courtesy Johan Ernst Nilson, SOURCE

Javier of Meteoexploration.com has provided a new weather forecast for Everest.
courtesy Meteo Exploration, SOURCE

From Namche temporary camp: "After a few after shakes most of the people in Namche have now moved up on the mountain and far away from the village. This is the school in Namche that has moved into tents for safety. We are still waiting for a new quake."
courtesy Johan Ernst Nilson, SOURCE

Skies opened enough this morning to allow evac of injured from BC.
courtesy Elia Saikaly, SOURCE